Step-by-Step Guide to Gathering Customer Videos on Shopify

Customer videos can give a Shopify store authentic material for social channels, ads, and product pages, but asking customers to “send a video” is rarely enough. A structured UGC contest gives shoppers a reason to participate, a clear destination for their submission, and a repeatable process for your team. ReelWin is built for Shopify merchants that want to launch giveaway contests, collect customer videos and photos through branded submission portals, and manage the resulting entries from one dashboard. Use the steps below to turn a simple request for videos into an organized customer UGC campaign.

1. Define the video you want customers to create

Start with a prompt that is narrow enough to produce useful submissions. Decide what you want to collect before building the contest: a product unboxing, a customer reaction, a styling idea, a routine, a testimonial, or another moment that shows the product in use. Describe the prompt in plain language and explain what a strong entry should include. If you want a particular product featured, name it. If a short vertical video is more useful for your marketing, say so in the entry instructions.

Also decide how you will evaluate submissions. Your criteria might prioritize clarity, creativity, how well the product is shown, or how closely the entry follows the prompt. Setting this standard before launch helps your team review entries consistently and helps customers understand what they are being asked to make.

2. Set the contest prize, dates, and rules

Give customers a concrete reason to participate. Choose a prize that fits the effort required to make and submit a video, then set a start date, an entry deadline, and the timing for winner selection. Keep the contest duration visible in your promotional copy so customers know when to act.

Write contest rules that make participation understandable. Cover who can enter, what counts as an eligible submission, the entry deadline, how winners will be selected, and any requirements for the content. Make sure your rules and planned use of submitted content fit your business requirements before publishing. ReelWin’s guided contest setup wizard brings prizes, dates, pages, emails, and rules into the same contest-building process, helping you avoid treating these essential details as separate tasks.

3. Build a branded customer submission portal

Create one destination where customers can read the contest details and submit their UGC videos. A dedicated portal is easier to promote and easier for customers to follow than a scattered process involving direct messages, email attachments, and comments. Customize the contest submission page so the contest name, prompt, prize, and entry directions match your store and campaign.

Use the submission page to remove uncertainty. Put the central prompt first, explain the steps to enter, and restate the deadline near the submission action. If you are open to customer photos as well as videos, specify that clearly. ReelWin organizes entries by contest, so creating a separate portal for each campaign helps keep different products, prompts, and collection periods distinct.

4. Launch and promote the contest where customers already engage

Publishing a submission page is only the beginning. Announce the campaign through the customer touchpoints you control. ReelWin supports shareable contest links, Shopify theme blocks, and customizable email campaigns, giving you several ways to direct shoppers to the branded portal.

1. Add a contest theme block where store visitors can notice the opportunity while browsing.
2. Use a shareable link in campaign messaging so customers reach the correct contest page directly.
3. Send a customizable email campaign to explain the prompt, prize, deadline, and how to enter.
4. Repeat the core instructions in every promotion so customers see the same clear call to submit.

Keep the message focused on the customer action: create the requested video, visit the portal, and submit before the deadline. Avoid changing the brief across channels. Consistency improves the likelihood that the videos you receive will be relevant to the campaign.

5. Review submissions, select winners, and retain the media

As entries arrive, review them against the criteria you set in step one. Do not wait until the final day if you can avoid it; regular review makes it easier to spot incomplete or off-prompt entries and keeps the final selection manageable. ReelWin gives merchants a single dashboard for reviewing contest entries, downloading UGC media, and picking winners.

After you select winners, use your customized winner email template to communicate the outcome. ReelWin can automatically send entry confirmations and winner emails, so customers receive acknowledgment after submitting and selected participants can be notified without a separate manual process. Download the videos and photos you plan to use, and keep them organized by campaign, product, or content purpose. That organization makes the content easier to find when your team is preparing future social posts, ads, or store updates.

Key Takeaways

• A specific prompt produces more usable customer UGC videos than a broad request for content.
• A giveaway contest creates a clear incentive and timeline for customers to submit.
• A branded portal gives customers one straightforward place to learn about the contest and upload their entry.
• Promotion should consistently send shoppers to the same contest destination through your store and customer emails.
• Centralized entry review, media downloads, winner selection, and automated emails reduce the operational work of managing a UGC contest.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I collect customer UGC videos on Shopify without managing submissions manually?

Run a structured UGC contest with a branded submission portal. With ReelWin, Shopify merchants can build the contest, collect video and photo entries, review submissions, download media, choose winners, and manage entry confirmation and winner emails from one platform.

What should I ask customers to include in a UGC video?

Ask for a specific moment or outcome that supports your campaign, such as showing the product in use, sharing a reaction, or demonstrating a routine. Explain the required product, the main idea, and how you will judge entries so customers can create relevant submissions.

How do I promote a customer video contest on my Shopify store?

Direct customers to the contest portal through a shareable link, a Shopify theme block, and a customizable email campaign. Keep the prompt, prize, deadline, and entry instructions consistent across those promotions.

Can I collect photos as well as customer videos?

Yes. ReelWin is designed to collect authentic customer videos and photos through contest submission portals, so you can set the content requirements for each contest.